Earthbound Heart
by TheKeybladeForger
Summary: After narrowly escaping an unexpected kidnapping attempt, King Saralegui suddenly finds himself all alone on Earth and no one knows he's there! And after hearing that he's mysteriously gone missing Yuri joins with Berias to help find him. Meanwhile, after collapsing in the rain, Sara meets Elest, who saves his life and then a new and unexpected love begins to grow. Sara&OC pairing
1. Stranded

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything from Kyo Kara Maoh, this is purely fan-made.

**Note: **Ok, so recently I've been playing _'Be My Princess'_ on my phone _(which by the way is a totally addicting game)_ and somehow I got this crazy idea in my head for a story where Sara ends up on Earth all by himself and he meets a human girl that helps him during his time there. At first, I wasn't going make this into a love story and was only going to focus on him creating a real friendship with someone other than Yuri but then I thought it might be fun to go ahead and make it into a romance anyway. After all, almost all of my stories up until now have been very dramatic and even with the romance involved the relationships between the various pairings I've used so far haven't had much time to develop on their own without something life-changing happening. That's what I hope to achieve with this story. I want to try again at another Sara/OC pairing and actually give them a chance to bond somewhat normally for once. Plus I've only seen one other story so far called _'King Saralegui's Visit'_ by xSadistxFujix where Sara actually goes to Earth at all. But sadly it's only a one-shot. However, I've always liked the idea of seeing Sara in that sort of setting. Of course, I had him on Earth briefly in one of my ownstories called _'Dawn's Light & Moon's Glow' _but again...there was a lot of drama going on at the time and they didn't stay there very long. Anyway, I've prattled on long enough! I hope you guys enjoy this refreshing new story and please review! If you do, I'll love you forever!

**P.S. **By the way,I'm going to be reusing another old character of mine named Elest from a deleted story as my OC. I hope you guys like her! Now, without further ado, let the story begin!

Chapter 1: Stranded

_(No One by Aly and Aj)_

_I am moving through the crowd_

_Trying to find myself_

_Feel like a guitar that's never played_

_Will someone strum away?_

_And I ask myself_

_Who do I wanna be?_

_Do I wanna throw away the key?_

_And invent a whole new me_

_And I tell myself_

_No One, No One_

_Don't wanna be_

_No One_

_But me…_

_You are moving through the crowd_

_Trying to find yourself_

_Feelin' like a doll left on a shelf_

_Will someone take you down?_

_And you ask yourself_

_Who do I wanna be?_

_Do I wanna throw away the key?_

_And invent a whole new me_

_Gotta tell yourself_

_No One, No One_

_Don't wanna be_

_No One_

_But me…_

_Your life plays out on the shadows of the wall_

_You turn the light on to erase it all_

_You wonder what it's like to not feel worthless_

_So open all the blinds and all the curtains_

_No One, No One_

_Don't wanna be_

_No One_

_But me..._

_We are moving through the crowd..._

* * *

~Sara~

"Hey, are you alright...?"

I blearily opened my eyes at the sound of an unfamiliar voice and looked up to see someone kneeling beside me, holding an umbrella above us to contend against the heavy rain. And I couldn't tell if it was just because I wasn't fully conscious yet, but their words seemed slurred and I couldn't understand them. All I could see was their silhouette above me as I tried to gather my wits and figure out where in the world I was.

_Ah yes, now I remember, _I thought to myself as I vaguely remembered how I came to find myself in this peculiar situation.

* * *

~Earlier that morning...~

As I recall, I was performing my usual royal duties when Berias entered my office carrying a tea tray, regarding me with his usual formal tone as he informed me casually, "Your Majesty, I've brought you your tea."

Looking up from my paperwork, I flashed him a brief smile and nodded as he carefully set the tea down on my desk before returning my attention back to my work. "Thank you Berias."

Usually, one of the maids would have brought my tea, but with the increased amount of outlaws spilling into the country Berias was concerned that someone might try and sneak into the castle and attempt to kidnap me if we weren't careful. So at least for the time being, Berias was personally bringing my tea each morning in order to keep an eye on the kitchen staff just in case one of them tried to slip in something into my food or drink while no one was looking. After all, people had the tenancy to assume that I was an easy target due to my young age and the fact that I only had one personal bodyguard. But as I see it, Berias is the only one I needed anyway. Because he was the only person I could trust completely.

After finishing my official duties for the day, I had only just excused myself to go for a brisk walk in the gardens when a passing shadow caught my eye. At first I believed it to only be a simple trick of the light but when it crossed my field of vision for a second time I paused. I knew Berias was nearby so I didn't let it visibly show that I already sensed the presence of whomever was lurking in the shadows. Instead, I hid the reason as to why I paused by leaning down to admire a flower blooming in one of the many flowerbeds there.

And that's when I felt something cold touch the back of my neck and someone ordered me in a deep voice, "Don't move."

Remaining calm, I replied smoothly, "Oh? But if I don't move, how will we be able to exchange a proper greeting?"

"Oh I don't think so Your Highness," the stranger said, pressing his sword harder into my skin until it threatened to cut trough and draw blood. Then with a note of contempt in their voice, he continued with a sneer, "You see, I know all about your little _'trick' _that you use on people so I'm not taking any chances. Now, put this on."

Extending his free hand towards me, the man offered me what appeared to be a blindfold to wrap around my eyes. I almost laughed because how childish this precaution was against me using my powers but I restrained myself and turned to take it when-

"Ah!" he hissed angrily, "No funny business now."

I sighed deeply, "This is going to take all day if you keep being unreasonable..." then glancing back at him as far as I dared, I continued speaking calmly in order to buy Berias some more time to sneak up on my assailant and catch him by surprise. "If you know so much about my so called _'trick' _then you already know that I have to look at someone directly in order for it to work effectively. As you can see though, I'm still wearing my glasses so this blindfold is really unnecessary. And besides, since you already have a sword held against my neck, you could just order me to stand and start walking in front of you which would save you the trouble of having to lead me yourself if I can't see where I'm going for myself."

The man paused for a moment, contemplating my words before grunting and crudely stuffing the strip of cloth back into his pocket. "Fine, have it your way," he snapped, "We'll have you walk then, so go ahead and stand up."

I did so with deliberate slowness disguised as caution when a smile touched my lips the moment I heard Berias shout my name and rush at my would-be kidnapper. The man turned in surprise when Berias appeared out of nowhere and I took my chance to put some distance between us as I ran out of his reach.

My attacker recovered from his surprise quicker than I anticipated however and he came running after me before Berias could subdue him. Of course, I was prepared for that as well so I focused my efforts on leading him towards the nearest location where I had guards stationed. Because unfortunately Berias hadn't brought any soldiers with him when he first noticed that something was amiss, And he had no intention of leaving me alone at the time so it was now up to me to make sure this mercenary was occupied until Berias either brought reinforcements or caught up to us himself.

Strangely enough, I hadn't noticed that our chase had ended in the bath chamber where a curtain of steam was curling off the warm water. Berias must have had it prepared for me as a way to relax after being so busy over the last few days with all the problems with our beloved neighbor, Big Shimaron. Before long, my glasses became fogged and it was starting to become difficult to keep the other man in sight. The chamber was very large though so with the bath between myself and him, it was the perfect way to buy myself more time so that Berias could find me and I thought I had everything under control...

That is, until the man suddenly stepped into the water and came rushing at me, and his eyes were glittering dangerously. "For such a young brat you really are as clever as they say. But that won't save you. I have my orders, and I will not fail to capture you, even if I must drag you to them half dead! Which I'd be all too happy to do."

_So he isn't acting on his own,_ I mused thoughtfully, preparing to bolt for the doorway that he had carelessly left unguarded by cutting across the water to reach me.

But as soon as I started off in that direction, I lost my footing and tumbled into the water. It was much deeper than it should have been and whirled all around me, blinding me with a wall of bubbles until I realized that it was because that man began searching for me clumsily with his hands as soon as I fell in. I tried to swim away when he finally found me but one of his strong hands clamped around my throat and forced me to the bottom of the pool.

I clawed at his hand with both arms as I felt my consciousness fading because I couldn't breathe, but try as I might I couldn't get him off of me. Just then, I felt the pressure lift off of my neck and something else replaced it. Instinctively, I had gasped for air once he released me but since I was still underwater the impulse filled my lungs with liquid. After that I descended into darkness...and fell into oblivion.

* * *

The next thing I knew, I was laying face down on the ground somewhere and could feel cold raindrops on my skin stealing the last of the warmth I had left. I coughed up a mouthful of water before sitting up to survey my new unfamiliar surroundings. For one thing, I was no longer inside the castle and I was surrounded on all sides by buildings and some sort of strange-looking black road running in between them.

I stood up slowly and called Berias's name but there was no reply. I was all alone. But it appeared as though I hadn't been captured so where in the world was I? Thinking that I had better find out, I started to walk down the street when something rushed pass me on the road and I leapt back in shock. It moved too fast for me to catch a glimpse of it though so I kept going until I saw another one go by that ran through a large puddle and drenched me entirely with even more water.

I sighed, pushing up my glasses as I mused aloud, "There was a person inside of that machine. So does that mean it is a mode of transportation here? Perhaps if I can acquire one then I can-" My words were cut off though when I stifled a sneeze and my body began to shiver uncontrollably. It was then that I realized that it would be a much better idea for me to secure lodging somewhere soon so that I could dry off before I caught a cold. So I began searching for an inn nearby. However, the signs were written in a language I had never seen before and I couldn't tell which one was the inn, or what anything was for that matter, it was all just so strange and new to me.

After failing to deduce anything from the signs, I was just about to look elsewhere when someone started to come towards me. I watched their progress carefully until all of a sudden my vision warped and I tilted over to the side and collapsed. My chest was now hurting terribly as I struggled to breathe and my head started to throb so painfully that I was forced to close my eyes to dispel the dizziness. And seeing that I had fallen, the figure dashed over to me and knelt beside me and asked hurriedly-

"Hey, are you alright...?"

But, similar to how it had been with the signs, I couldn't recognize the words they were saying and stared blankly at their face as my vision grew ever darker and darker until I lost consciousness. Although I was unaware of the relationship I would soon develop between me and this stranger who rescued me, just as I was unaware that I had just stumbled open the very world that Yuri called home aside from the Great Demon Kingdom. A world called...Earth.

* * *

~Elest~

"Hey, it looks like it's going to rain soon," I said aloud to my friend Tessa-who happened to be working with me today-when I noticed how gray it was outside and glanced at the clock."And my shift is almost over so I better ask if it's ok to leave. Would you mind helping me clean up before I go?"

"Sure," she smiled, "I still have about a half an hour left before I head back too. So I'll go ahead and take care of the clean up."

"Really? Are you sure you don't need my help?" I blinked, surprised by her generous offer.

With a secretive smile, Tessa winked and said, "Don't worry, I got this, so you can-"

Tessa was about to tell me if I left now I could still get my grocery shopping done before I went back to my apartment when I heard a gentle voice and familiar call out to me, "Hey Elest, getting ready to go home?"

I turned and I saw that it was my best friend Jace, who I knew Tessa had a huge crush on which would explain why she was in such a hurry to get rid of me. But I wasn't expecting to see him so suddenly so I asked him, "Jace, what are you doing here?"

Jace shrugged his signature shrug as he offered me the umbrella he had been carrying, and grinned "Well I figured that it was going to start raining soon and your umbrella is still broken right? That's why I thought I'd let you borrow this one for awhile until you get a new one. Isn't that nice of me? After all, wouldn't want you to catch a cold. Then again..." he snickered, "...idiots can't catch colds."

I frowned, snatching the umbrella from him and bonking Jace on the head with it and retorted with an evil laugh, "Alright smartalec, just for that, I'm not going to let you use my discount anymore."

His eyes widened in mock horror and Jace moaned, "No, not my discount! Anything but that!"

"It's ok, don't cry..." Tessa smiled, teasingly poking his cheek, "You can use mine."

A look of triumph brightened Jace's face and he laughed, "Hear that Ellie? Looks like your evil plans didn't work."

"Don't call me that," I grumbled, "You know I don't like it when people use that nickname..."

"Why? It's so cute!" Tessa asked but then another customer came in and she sighed, "Oh nevermind, I better get back to work. See you later Elest!"

I gave her a little wave before turning back to Jace and asked him sternly, "Seriously Jace, why did you call me that just now? You know how it makes me feel."

Jace winced under the heat of my hard gaze but smiled nevertheless and pat me on the head before whispering apologetically, "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. But someday you're just going to have to get over it; otherwise you'll lose your smile forever one day if you keep thinking about what happened with your mother."

I sighed, "I know. Anyway, I better get going. Thanks for the umbrella," I smiled and made my escape before Jace could continue any further.

* * *

Like my mood, the world around me became very dreary and gray as I walked down the sidewalk holding Jace's umbrella. I know he was trying to cheer me up, but, I still wasn't over all my feelings from that day. Every time I heard that nickname, it brought her face to mind because she was the only one who ever called me that. My father was always far away on business so I hardly ever saw him, even when I was little. But my mother was always with me, until one day, she was just gone.

My grip on the umbrella tightened when I saw something startling white in the distance, as if it were the only light shining on this gray haze of a world I was standing in. And it wasn't until it moved towards me that I realized it was a person, a beautiful person with a net of stunning honey gold hair pooling over their shoulders wearing a pair of tinted shades. I couldn't see them very well in the mist from the rain but when I saw that person collapse, I rushed over to them and gasped...

It was a boy.

His skin was flawless and pale like polished ivory and he looked just like a prince from a fairytale. He was so handsome too, even while he was soaking wet from the rain. However, I noticed right away that even with his naturally pale complexion that his skin was flushed and he looked feverish.

Concerned, I tried to ask him, "Hey, are you alright...?"

But all he managed to do was look up at me with a confused expression and fell over, breathing heavily and hugging himself as his body convulsed with violent tremors from the cold. I knew that I couldn't just leave him there so I tried to rouse him but it was no good. Therefore I did the only thing I could do and clumsily slung him over my shoulder, and I was surprised though when I felt how light he was.

My apartment wasn't far from here so after lifting him onto my back and repositioning the umbrella over us, I started to walk. My friends often made fun of the fact that I was strong like a boy but that was because I grew up hanging around a bunch of boys back in my hometown before I moved here to start college. There were hardly any girls my age there and the ones who were, well, they were a little too girly for my taste. I was a bit of both, a tom-boy and a city-girl because just like I loved music and nice cloths, I also enjoyed things like going camping or climbing trees in the park and going horseback riding at Tessa's ranch out in the countryside.

Anyway, I guess it must have looked odd having a girl carrying a guy because the people I passed kept staring at us. Then again, he was wearing very strange-looking cloths and his hair was rather long for a boy so it was probably understandable how it might make people gawk at us. However, the longer they started the more self conscious I got so I jogged as fast as I could back to my apartment where we'd have a little bit of privacy...

I probably should have called someone as soon as I got him inside but I wasn't thinking. All I knew was that I had to get him out of those wet cloths before he developed pneumonia. I figured I could call someone afterwords once he was settled in. But, what I didn't know was how this boy was going to change my life forever and shatter everything I ever knew about the world and about myself. I never would have guessed then, what was in store for us the first time our eyes met, or the brand new feelings that would start to grow in my heart that I thought I would never feel again.


	2. Curiosity

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything from Kyo Kara Maoh or Be My Princess, this is purely fan-made.

**Note: **Hey guys, I wanted to write more than I did for this chapter but couldn't think of anything else after a certain point and so here's what I got. Please enjoy and review!

**P.S. **I wanted to update something else but I couldn't think of which one so suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Chapter 2: Curiosity

_(Who Knows? by Avril Lavigne)_

_Yeah, yeah_

_Yeah-eah, yeah_

_Yeah-eah, yeah_

_Why do you look so familiar_

_I could swear that I have seen your face before_

_I think I like that you seem sincere_

_I think I like to get to know you a little bit more_

_I think there's something more, life's worth living for_

_Who knows what could happen. _

_Do what you do, just keep on laughing_

_One thing's true, there's always a brand new day_

_I'm gonna live today like it's my last day _

_Yeah, yeah, _

_Yeah-eah, yeah, _

_Yeah-eah, yeah_

_How do you always have an opinion_

_And how do you always find the best way to compromise_

_We don't need to have a reason_

_We don't need anything_

_We're just wasting time _

_I think there's something more, life's worth living for_

_Who knows what could happen. _

_Do what you do, just keep on laughing_

_One thing's true, there's always a brand new day_

_Who knows what could happen. _

_Do what you do, just keep on laughing_

_One thing's true, there's always a brand new day_

_I'm gonna live today like it's my last day _

_I think there's something more, life's worth living for_

_Who knows what could happen. _

_Do what you do, just keep on laughing_

_One thing's true, there's always a brand new day_

_Who knows what could happen. _

_Do what you do, just keep on laughing_

_One thing's true, there's always a brand new day_

_I'm gonna live today like it's my last day_

_Find yourself, cause I can't find you_

_Be yourself, who are you?_

_Find yourself, cause I can't find you_

_Be yourself, who are you?_

_Who knows what could happen. _

_Do what you do, just keep on laughing_

_One thing's true, there's always a brand new day_

_So you go and make it happen_

_Do your best just keep on laughing_

_I'm telling you, there's always a brand new day_

_Who knows what could happen. _

_Do what you do, just keep on laughing_

_One thing's true, there's always a brand new day_

_I'm gonna live today like it's my last day_

* * *

~Sara~

When I finally regained consciousness, the first thing I noticed that I was no longer laying out on the streets and I was taken somewhere else where I felt warm and dry. Well, while I say I was _warm_ my skin was actually ablaze with the fever I caught from walking in the rain for so long when my clothes were already soaked entirely through after my unfortunate dip in the bath before that brought me to this place.

Turning my head slightly-just enough so I could look around without making the damp cloth on my forehead fall off-I glanced over and saw my robe folded neatly on top of a chair next to the bed. Although I couldn't really see them until I took my glasses from atop the newly laundered cloths and put them on.

After that I removed the cloth from my head and slowly pulled myself upright, wincing when my head began to throb painfully even at the slightest movement. Then I took my first real look at the room I was in. It was a small room, but with was filled with a vast assortment of curious items that I was unfamiliar with...

For example, there was a small desk across from the bed where some sort of strange device sat with a panel of symbols that I assumed controlled it and a long thin strand extended from the back and was fastened to the wall, almost like a chain that prevented someone from removing it from that spot. Next to that there was a flameless lamp glowing beside it and a notebook with a small stack of books sitting next to it. There was also a window next to the bed but the curtains were drawn so I couldn't look outside. But, I could still hear the soft patter of rainfall outside and even though it was the rain that caused my fever, the gentle sound it made against the glass was almost mesmerizing and I found myself dozing off again before I could finish examining the room because I still wasn't feeling very well.

Therefore, I eased myself back into bed and removed my glasses, careful to position them exactly as they were before so no one would know I had woken up once already without their knowledge. I also replaced the cloth on my forehead too and prepared to go back to sleep so I could recover my strength since there wasn't really anything else I could do at this point. And after reviewing what I had seen so far, I determined that this place didn't appear to be unsafe so I allowed myself to relax at least for the time being.

Besides, I wasn't going to figure out anything with this fever anyway since it was clouding my mind. It was so hard to think and I felt so tired all of a sudden. My eye drooped suddenly and when they closed, I heard the distant sound of a door opening and felt a gentle hand lift the damp cloth from my skin and brush my hair back as they rested their own forehead against mine while they were checking my temperature. However, I drifted to sleep before I could open my eyes long enough to see who it was.

* * *

The next morning when I woke up, I could see bright shafts of sunlight sifting through the closed curtains that fell on my face and I could also hear the gentle sound of birdsong from just outside the window. Thankfully I felt much better at that point since my headache was gone. Although I still felt a little lightheaded so obviously I still had a bit of a fever.

A few minutes later-just when I decided to get dressed-someone who I assumed was the one that brought me here entered the room and I was shocked when I saw her for the first time. And she seemed equally as surprised to see me awake already because she quickly put down the tray she had brought in for me and reached towards my forehead to check my temperature again and she did that without a moment's hesitation, which actually startled me because most of the women I knew grew easily flustered around me. But when I looked up at this girl's face, I could see deterioration and good-natured personality etched into her face that for some reason she reminded me of Yuri...

"Hmm, you're still a bit warm but at least you don't look as bad as before," she mused thoughtfully, withdrawing her hand and shrugging timidly. "I was getting kinda worried that I was going to have to call a doctor if your fever didn't get any better last night, but it looks like you're doing ok now. Well, good thing it's my day off anyway so I can stay here at home until you feel better. And in case you were wondering, I found you collapsed on the side of the street yesterday and brought you here to my apartment since it was close by. But now that you're awake, is there someone I can call that can come pick you up because I couldn't find your id anywhere so I have no idea who I should contact."

My eyes widened slightly when I didn't understand a single word she just said to me. And it was then that I realized that this must be an entirely different country that even I had never visited before. That _would_ explain why I couldn't read the signs before either or knew what that strange silver device was that nearly ran me over.

Whatever this place was, it was clear that I was no longer in Shimaron territory. And as such, I had no idea how to get myself home let alone how to communicate with this girl. Of course I had to figure something out before she started to get suspicious of me.

Tilting her head ever so slightly, she looked at me curiously and asked, "Is something wrong?"

I could tell what she was trying to say from her expression so I shook my head to say no, because even without words, I was certain that there were at least some gestures that worked in almost any situation so I decided to use that to my advantage. After all, the longer I kept the fact that I didn't know her language a secret, the safer I would be in case she turned out to be an enemy; though I highly doubted that.

"Oh yeah!" she cried suddenly, looking pleased with herself, "I'll bet you're hungry since you haven't eaten since yesterday right? I just finished making you some soup for you-" walking over to the tray she put down before, she waited for me to reposition myself before setting it in my lap, "-here you go. Eat up while it's still hot!"

Not knowing what else to do, I flashed her a smile before picking up the spoon and taking my first mouthful. I only sipped it at first though to test for poison like Berias taught me but the only thing I tasted was the flavor of the soup itself. The soup was made of a light broth with plenty of noodles and an assortment of vegetables I had never tasted before. It warmed me right down to my toes and I found myself smiling, because I could almost taste her kindness in each bit I took.

"So...what's your name anyway?" she asked me while I continued to eat.

Again, going only by her expression, I answered, "Saralegui."

I was surprised though when she snorted and repeated, "Saralegui huh? Don't you know that's a girl's name? And you are clearly a boy. Then again, you are wearing your hair longer than most guys do..."

Reaching forward, she grasped a few strands of my hair and for the oddest reason my heart started to pound. I couldn't tell if she was just being bold or felt like touching someone else's hair so casually was perfectly acceptable. It's not that I didn't mind, but her forwardness was something I was unaccustomed to so even I was unsure of how to respond. Still, I remained still while she let my hair run through her fingers before letting it settle back into place.

After that she must have realized her error because she apologized hastily, "Oh, sorry! That was really creepy wasn't it? It's just that I've never seen anyone-especially a guy-with platinum gold hair this long before..."

I was beginning to grow frustrated with the fact that I didn't know what on earth she was saying but I feigned a smile anyway and covered my silence by finishing the rest of her soup. However, I knew that sooner or later she would figure it out so if it came right down to it I would be forced to use my power on her to escape. By doing that though, I knew it probably wouldn't help me very much since I still knew nothing about this strange country and its ways. And worse, I might run into less savory characters who would not act as kindly to me as this stranger. Even so, I had to find a way back home to Small Shimaron before the people who were after me came here.

* * *

~Elest~

It wasn't long before I figured out why Saralegui was giving me the silent treatment while I was cleaning his dishes. I had already guessed as much from his unusual clothing but it wasn't until he actually spoke that I knew for sure. He was a foreigner and obviously didn't know any English at all, so he was trying to fake me out for some reason...

Sometimes you can tell by the way they speak if someone speaks another language because they almost always have a natural accent and you can hear the struggle in their words when they're not using their own native language. This was something I actually learned from my father, since he traveled a lot for his work. Big businessman and all that that…

Still, I wondered why Saralegui felt like he had to hide it from me. Maybe he just didn't want to be taken advantage of by a stranger because he didn't know any English, which would make the most sense to me. I wouldn't want to be in that kind of situation either. Then again, I also wouldn't want to be stuck on my own out here with no one to contact for help either. So I started to wonder whether or not I should bring him to the police and ask for help there. But if he came here illegally or something that wouldn't help Saralegui out at all and would probably make things worse for him.

Thinking about all this, I jumped when my cellphone suddenly buzzed in my pocket-since I put it on silent while Saralegui was sleeping-and I rushed to turn off the water so I could answer it. The caller ID said it was Jace so with a sigh, I flipped my phone open and nestled it under my ear while I finished rinsing the soup off the dishes.

"Hey Jace, what's up?" I answered casually, trying to hide the fact that my heart was still thumping uncomfortably in my chest from the unexpectedly early call.

"Nothing much, just wanted to hear your pretty voice. Oh, and I've been instructed to tell you that Tessa wants you to stop by the cafe' today a.s.a.p.!" And just from the sound of his voice, I could tell Jace was being mock-serious as usual.

Rolling my eyes and putting the dishes on the drying rack I confessed, "Well unfortunately I have something important to take care of today so it's going to have to wait. I also have a ton of things I have to get from the store that I didn't end up buying yesterday because of the heavy rainstorm last night. Tell her I'm sorry ok?"

With a silence that I took for a nod I couldn't see, Jace answered, "Ok, I'll tell her. And while we're at it, would you like some company on your shopping trip? I could carry your bags and make your life more exciting."

"Thanks but no thanks, this is kinda a one person job. Besides, you have a life too you know!" I laughed, switching the phone to my other ear before ending the conversation with, "Listen I gotta go. Tell Tessa to hang in there until this weekend ok? Then she can tell me all about her big news. Bye."

_I wonder if I'll have to tell her about my big news too, _I thought absentmindedly before deciding-_Well, at least one thing is for sure, I can't take him to the police so for now...I guess I'll have to find some way to talk to Saralegui and figure out where he came from. That should be my main focus for now. I just hope that I haven't bitten off more than I can chew by helping him myself instead of just calling 911 like a normal person. But he just...he just looked so helpless and confused and something about him just feels so magical I guess. So maybe, the excitement Jace thinks I'm looking for is sitting in the next room._


End file.
